Sections
- What is the Big Beautiful Bill?
- SNAP Changes
- Medicaid and Healthcare Access
- Housing and Rental Assistance
- What Does This Mean For You?
What is the Big Beautiful Bill?
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is a law that was passed by the Senate and House of Representatives and subsequently signed by President Donald J. Trump in mid-2025. The bill aims to further President Trump’s second term agenda of continuing tax cuts and eliminating government inefficiencies and waste. Consequently, this has major effects on federal assistance programs such as SNAP and Medicaid. The bill has come under national scrutiny for increasing the national debt, cutting public welfare programs, and implementing controversial immigration enforcement measures.
In this article, we will walk you through how “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act” could impact your benefits in Baltimore. If you found this article helpful, let us know by leaving a comment or following our Instagram. Take a look at our other articles, including Applying for Medicare Savings Programs and Applying for Part D “Extra Help”! Lastly if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email us at bmorebenefits@gmail.com.
SNAP Changes
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is a federally funded program that assists low-income individuals in purchasing good food to promote health. SNAP benefits are loaded onto a EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card, which works like a debit card. Benefits are loaded onto the EBT card monthly. Benefit amounts vary by income, household size, and expenses. SNAP households are defined as individuals who live, purchase, and prepare meals together.
Broadly speaking and barring certain exemptions, past legislation required many individuals ages 18 to 55 seeking SNAP benefits to work at least 20 hours/week (about 80 hours/month) to access SNAP benefits year round. Otherwise, individuals failing to meet work requirements can only access benefits for 3 months out of a 36 month period.
Impact to SNAP Recipients
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act broadens who must meet SNAP work requirements—expanding the age range to 18–64 and applying the rules to parents with children aged 14 or older and to veterans. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP currently supports 40 million Americans and this bill has the potential to cause 3.2 million individuals and 1 million children to lose all or a substantial amount of the food assistance they rely on to purchase groceries.
Impact to the States
Since the SNAP inception, states have only borne the administrative costs of the program, which the state and the federal government have split 50:50. The actual SNAP benefits have, in the past, only come from the federal government. However, the new bill now requires states to contribute 75% of the administrative costs of running SNAP and may also require states to match benefit contributions depending on their error rate.
A state’s payment error rate is how often a state provides underpayment or overpayments and provides insight on the program’s efficiency and integrity in each state. However, many factors contribute to a state’s payment error rate, and tying state contributions to this error rate could have consequential effects.
Below is a table outlining how much a state will have to match the federal government’s funds depending on their error rate.
| State Payment Error Rate | Percent Match |
| < 6% | 0% |
| 6%-8% | 5% |
| 8%-10% | 10% |
| > 10% | 15% |
For context, Maryland’s payment error rate for FY2024 was 13.64% meaning that Maryland would have to match 15% of the federal government contributions. Compounded by the increase of 50% to 75% of administrative costs, this could lead to program reductions and cuts meaning many individuals could lose access to necessary SNAP benefits.
Medicaid and Healthcare Access
Medicaid and Medicare are government health insurance programs designed to increase access to healthcare for vulnerable populations. Medicare is a federal program that offers hospital and medical insurance (Parts A and B), prescription drug coverage (Part D), and additional benefits such as dental and vision care (Part C). The program is available to individuals who are 65 years or older, have qualifying disabilities, or are diagnosed with debilitating conditions such as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) or End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
Medicaid, on the other hand, is a joint federal and state government program that provides health insurance to low-income individuals and families, with eligibility requirements varying by household size and state. This assistance program offers low-cost or free coverage to those who qualify.
The OBBBA cut about $1 trillion from federal healthcare programs, significantly reducing the number of individuals eligible for assistance and stripping healthcare coverage from more than 10 million individuals.
Changes to Medicaid
The OBBBA has made Medicaid eligibility assistance much more stringent. Beginning in 2027, individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 must provide proof of employment and/or participation in professional training programs for at least 80 hours each month to qualify for coverage. However, exceptions can be made for individuals with disabilities or parents of dependent children.
Starting in October 2028, Medicaid recipients with incomes above 100% of the Federal Poverty Level will be required to pay out-of-pocket fees of up to $35 depending on services/providers.
The OBBBA restricts the ability of states to use provider taxes to channel back into Medicaid programs.
Stricter immigration-based eligibility criteria have also been introduced. To qualify for Medicaid or Medicare, individuals must be:
- US Citizens
- Lawful permanent residents/green card holders who have completed the 5-year waiting period
- Cubans and Haitian entrants
- Individuals residing in the US originally from Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands
Changes to Medicare
The aforementioned Medicare eligibility requirements will eliminate access for the following groups of people by January 2027:
- Refugees granted asylum
- Individuals with Temporary Protected Status
- Survivors of human trafficking
- Survivors of domestic violence
- Individuals granted humanitarian parole
The bill also excludes orphan drugs, used to treat rare diseases, from future price negotiation efforts, making care for these conditions more expensive. The bill also blocks federal minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes, impeding patient care, and imposes a long moratorium through 2034 on changes/improvements to Medicare savings programs.
Housing and Rental Assistance
The OBBBA builds on the previous Trump administration’s tax cuts and is poised to significantly impact the already volatile housing market. The proposed changes to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) aim to increase the supply of affordable housing by raising housing credit allocations by 12%, potentially resulting in more affordable rental options. The bill also makes it easier to finance housing using tax-exempt bonds by reducing the 50% test financing requirement to 25%. These cuts can lead an increase in rental housing options across Baltimore.
However, the impact on residents is not straightforward. While more affordable units may become available, many families will be facing reduced food and healthcare assistance at the same time. Without SNAP/Medicaid support, even reduced rents may still feel out of reach. This tension between potential housing gains and broader benefit cuts means low-income households could continue struggling to cover basic needs.
For Maryland, especially Baltimore where housing costs remain high for many, it is still unclear whether the increase in housing supply keeps pace with rising financial pressures on families.
What Does This Mean For You?
If you’re a Maryland resident, the Big Beautiful Bill may affect your day to day life in several important ways:
- Food & Groceries: Expanded work requirements for SNAP may limit your eligibility, especially if you’re aged 55-64, a veteran, or a parent of older children.
- Healthcare: Starting in 2027, Medicaid will require proof of 80 monthly work or training hours. By 2028, some residents will also face new out-of-pocket fees. Immigrant eligibility has been narrowed.
- Housing: There may be more affordable rental options on the market over time, but it may not fully offset the loss of other benefits.
What you can do now:
- Stay informed about deadlines for benefit renewals and eligibility changes.
- Explore local housing assistance programs in Baltimore that may help bridge the gap until new units come online.
- Reach out to community organizations (including us!) if you need help navigating applications for SNAP, Medicaid, or housing support.
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